Pump-plunger



F. l. MILLER.

:PUMP PLUNGER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14. 1920.

Patented Oct 18,1921.

FWA I. n max,

INVENTOR.

BY 2/ QTT RNEY.

, thus avoid UNITED STATES v PATENT OFFICE.

T0 FRANK MILLER PLUNGER TEXAS.

TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF PUMP-PLUN GER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application filed February 14, 1920. Serial No. 358,595.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F RANK J. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wichita Falls, Wichita county, Texas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pump-Plungers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in pump plungers for use in deep well operations and has particular application to reciprocating plungers designed to operate in oil and water wells wherein the fluid being pumped is mixed with a certain amount of sand or sediment which ordinarily tends to cause. excessive wear in the plunger and working barrel of the pump. I

An object of my invention is to provide a means of preventing the entrance of sand about the plunger during its operation and the excessive wear ordinarily experienced in pumping sandy liquids. 7

Another object is to provide a plunger 7 withalternative sets of expanding rings and suction cups thereon adapted to withstand wear and maintain a tight fit with the work ing barrel for long periods of operation.

Another object is to provide a means of agitating th fluid being pumped so that the sand and sediment will be carried along I with the liquid and thus assist in preventing the settling and packing ofthe sand about the working parts. V

'Other objects and advantages of my in vention will more clearly appear in the more detailed specification which follows and the points of novelty thereof will be set forth with particularity in the claims.

Referring to the drawing forming a part of this specification and wherein like parts 7 are designated by like ninnerals throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through a pump barrel showing my improved plunger 1n section therein; Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the plane 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the lowerend of thep'lunger shown in Fig. 1. I

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have shown my improved plunger fitted in operative position withina working barrel 1. The upper end of the plunger is provided with a valve cage 2 having a threaded nipple 3 at the upper end thereof to furnish attachment to a sucker rod, not shown. The lower end of the cage terminates in a sleeve threaded interiorly at 4 for attachment to the tubular bearing member 5, the upper end of which is recessed to provide a seat for the valve seat 6, in which the ball valve 7 is adapted to fit.

e lower end of said bearing member 5 is of the full diameter of the plunger for a short distance, thus forming a cylindrical head at 19, but is reduced in outer diameter above the head 19 to provide a seat for the rotatable sleeve 8, said sleeve fitting be tween the lower end of the valve chamber 2 and the shoulder provided by the upper face of the head 19. The said sleeve 8 has a plurality of outwardly extending blades or vanes 9 shaped spirally to give a rotative movement to the sleeve by contact with the moving liquid entering about the cage 6, as will be later described.

he bearing member 5 has at its lower end a reduced threaded nipple adapted to be screwed within the threaded upper end of a tubular section of pipe 10, said pipe preferably having its walls increased in thickness at some intermediate point, to form a short section 11 between which and the lower end of the head 19 may be seated a series of rings 12 and cups 13 to engage the inner surface of the working barrel closely. The rings 12 are preferably mounted in sets including several rings fitted within a seat formed in the outer periphery of a sleeve 14 which may itself be seated on the tubular member 10. The rings are formed somewhat like the ordinary piston ring and are flat and composed of resilient material,

split at one point along an offset line as shown in Fig. 3, so as to allow expansion and still maintain a tight contact longitudi nally of the piston in an obvious and well known manner. The rings tend to spring outwardly against the'inner surface of the working barrel. The sleeve 14 is best formed in sections screwed together at 15 so that one enlarged end may be removed to allow the easy assembly of the rings in their seat.

Between one set of rings and the next set I contemplate placing a spacing sleeve 16 adjacent the upper end of the next lower inner face 01": the working ing barrel is adapted to of the series of rings. The cup is of some flexible material such as rubber, fabric or composition and has an upwardly extend to bear against the ing sharpened edge I working barrel 1. It will be noted" that when several groups of alternate sets of rings and cups have been assembled on the pipe 10, the bearing member maybe screwed into the upper endo'f said pipe and thus secure the sets firmly between said bearing member and the portion 11 of the said pipe 10. V r I Below the part 11 the pipe 10 is extended downwardly and threaded for attachment to a nut 16 between which and'the' part 11 are assembled a second series of cups 13 and rings 12. I H

Below the threaded seat of the nut 16 the pipe 10 is reduced very slightly in diameter to form a bearing sleeve 17 similar in construction to the ring 8 previously described and having vanes 18 thereon, somewhat wider in extent than those on the sleeve 8 and adapted to rotatably fill the space between the sleeve and the barrel 1. This sleev isretained on the pipe 10 by a nut20 on the lower end of, said pipe. j r A rod 21 projecting upwardly in the workrod may be secured at its lower end to the upper end of the foot valve cage, not shown. On the upper end of the said rod 21 is placed another rotating sleeve 22 held against longitudinal movement. on said rod .by a lower nut 23 and an upper nut 2a. The tion of the plunger causes an upward pasf sageof oil or other liquid through the centhus tending tral passage in 22 causing said sleeve to rotate and impart an upwardly whirling action to the liquid to keep the sand, which may be in suspension in the liquid, from sinking and packing around the foot valve or from Working around the outside of the plunger. also that the upward greater, due to the In the operation of my plunger the reciprocation of the same will cause a moving current of the liquid which isvbeing pumped.

It will be noted that the valve cage, 2 is a f small enough to allow the passage downward outside of it to the sleeve 8. This-will cause a whirling of the sleeves 8 and 17 on their bearings thus agitating the fluid and the sand or sediment therein. This agitation will keep the sand and sediment from-set tling and thus 'working in around, the plunger. The action of the sleeves 8 and 21 is attached. The nut 23 is for a second rotary extend loosely into 35' the plunger as it reciprocates. This by Letters Patent is: reciprocathe plunger'and this flow will impinge against the vanes on the sleeve said valve,

17 is to work the suspended matter away from the plunger.

Further, the arrangement of the hard ex-' pansion rings especially eflicient and constitutes an important feature of my invention.

The retaining nuts 23 and 24. and the whirling sleeve 22- on the end of the rod 21 will serve to assist in the agitation of the liquid and prevent clogging of the working parts. This device is also of assistance in withdrawing the foot valve to which-the rod 7 large enough in diameter to catch on the upper shoulder of the nut 20 when the plunger is withdrawn from the well. This will draw along with the plunger, the rod 21 and the foot valve to which it is attached, thus making it unnecessary to' again go down into the well to get the said foot valve when repair thereof is necessary.

The plunger thus constructed will not clog with sediment, but will maintain itself free in its operation so that little'wear will occur. cups so that even if some slight amount of sand does find entrance about the plunger, the rings will prevent the same fromwearing the cups. I 1 I 7 Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect combination of a central tubular memtherethrough, a valve I a pu p h plunger, comprising a her having a passage in said passage, an agitator below said valve, and sleeves onthe upper and lower ends of said plunger shaped to rotate by the flow of liquid in contact therewith 1n the manner and for the purpose described.

'2. In a pump the combination of a plunger, comprising a central tubular member having a valve-controlled passage therethrough, an agitator in said passage, agitating means on each end of the plunger and expanding rings and, suction cups arranged on said tubular member between said agitatlng means. V 3. In a pump the--. combination of :a plunger, comprising a tubular member having a valve-controlled passage therethrough and a rotating sleeve 7 said sleeve being --.out of contact with said plunger and rotatable by-the current of fluid therethrough. Y i v 4-. In a pump the combination of a plunger, comprising a centraletubular memher having a passage therethrough, a rod 12 so that they will bear" resiliently against the working barrel is such as to take up considerable wear before any The metal rings will alsoprotect the fixed in the pump barrel and projecting into said passage, and an. agitatlng sleeve rotatable on the said rod rotated by and acting to cause a whirling movement of the liquid being pumped.

he combination of a reciprocating plunger, comprising atubular member having a passage therethrough, a stationary rod projecting into said passage, a sleeve rotatable on said rod and spirally arranged vanes on said sleeve.

6. In a pump plunger, a central tubular member, sets of expanding rings and suction cups thereon, one of said sets of rings comprising a plurality of split rings mounted on a sleeve adapted to seat on said member, and a spacing sleeve between said set of rings and the adjacent cup.

In a pump plunger, an agitator on one end thereof having spiral vanes thereon adapted to impart a rotary movement to the liquid being pumped.

8. In a pump plunger, an agitating means on the outer surface of said plunger comprising a rotatable sleeve having a plurality of vanes spirally arranged thereon.

9. In a pump, a reciprocable plunger, agitating means .on the upper and lower ends of said plunger, said agitating means comprising sleeves rotatably mounted on said plunger and having outwardly projecting vanes thereon.

10. In a pump, a reciprocable bearing member near the upper end thereof, a rotatable sleeve on said bearing member, and outwardly projecting vanes arranged spirally onsaid sleeve.

In a pump, a reciprocable plunger, a bearing member thereon, a rotatable sleeve on said bearing member and agitating means on said sleeve.

12. In a pump, a reciprocable plunger, a sleeve rotatable thereon and radial agitating blades on said sleeve.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this the 9th day of February, A.

FRANK J. MILLER.

plunger, a 

